On-line Bubble Inspection Method for Automated Vacuum Casting Controlling System

This paper analyzes the craft of vacuum casting and proposes modularized frame of a new automated vacuum casting controlling system which is integrated by four sub-modules that are main-control module, electric control module, execution module and detection module. Specially, because bubbles affect quality of casting and realization of full automated control, this paper studied an on-line automated bubbles inspection method and build experiment roof to realize it. The inspection method uses a high speed industrial CCD digital camera to acquire automatically bubbles' images which are processed and analyzed. The processing algorithms are introduced in detail. The processed results can act as control signal to automatically eliminating bubbles. Finally, we set parameters of some key parts and tested effect of this system through experiments. The results proved the controlling effect significantly better than that of existing vacuum control system form efficiency and quality of eliminating bubbles. In a word, the system has a good market application prospect and high economic value.